Nothing is more important to business success than strong communication skills. Not convinced? A recent survey of 40 companies worldwide with at least 100,000 employees each found that poor communication between employees was estimated to cost each company an average of $62.4 million a year. Among companies with only 100 employees, yearly losses due to communication blunders added up to $420,000. Business leaders who want to build organizational strength simply can’t afford to neglect communication skills. Use these 11 tips to become a master communicator both on and off the job.
Seize Every Opportunity
When an opportunity to have a conversation with a colleague or a new contact arises, take advantage of it. Opening up the lines of communication is essential to strengthening existing relationships and building new ones. Being the first to introduce yourself puts others at ease and shows that you’re genuinely interested in having a conversation.
Stay Focused on Intent
Making small talk is a normal part of life. Talking about the weather or asking about a colleague’s weekend is a great way to maintain relationships. When it comes to being a master communicator, though, you must go beyond these basics. Before you open a conversation, think about your intent. What do you hope to get from the conversation? What topics do you need to bring up? Knowing what you want to get out of a communication will guide you whether you’re speaking person to person or replying to an email.
Always Be the Last to Speak
Communicating well starts with listening well. You can make your communications more powerful and efficient by holding back until everyone else has had a chance to speak. If you wait to share your input until others have shared, you’ll be able to respond to multiple points or ideas at once. Waiting to speak also gives you time to think through what you’re going to say. This is especially helpful if communications in your organization tend to become heated.
Never Pretend
Making up an answer to a question because you don’t know what to say can be tempting. Many professionals wish to be perceived as total experts in their fields, so it can be difficult for them to admit that they don’t know the answer. Instead of fibbing, be truthful. After all, humility and honesty are essential to the long-term success of your business relationships. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should say I don’t know and move on. It means that you should acknowledge that you’re unsure of the answer while offering to do more research and find out.
Use Body Language to Your Advantage
Communicating in person is about more than the words that come out of your mouth. It’s also about the body language you use to send your message. For example, crossing your arms tightly against your chest might send the message that you’re unwilling to have a conversation. Constant fiddling might make those you’re speaking with feel like you’re not paying attention. Be conscious of how you hold yourself, and make sure that your body language encourages communication instead of intimidating others.
Take a Break from Multitasking
You might feel like multitasking is the only way you can fit everything that you need into your busy work day. However, multitasking while communicating is a big no no. If you’re working on different tasks, you might misunderstand a conversation or miss out on important information. Remember that it’s disrespectful to work on another task while someone is trying to talk to you. It might be commonplace in our society to check your phone while having a conversation, but it’s behavior that master communicators know they should avoid.
Stay True to Yourself
No doubt there are things you’ll need to change if you hope to become a master communicator. As you make adjustments, remember to stay true to yourself too. You don’t need to put on a false personality every time you go to work. Instead, convey your opinions and ideas with tact. Whether you’re a social butterfly or you’re generally shy, being honest about how you feel and putting it into plain, non-emotional language will make you a more effective communicator.
Stick to Open-Ended Questions
Being a great communicator means listening to others and responding with tact. But what do you do if you can’t get others to contribute ideas? Try asking open-ended questions instead of simple yes-no questions. For example, you might ask employees what they want out of their benefits packages instead of simply asking if they’re satisfied with their benefits packages. Remember that great communication can help increase employee engagement. It can also help you better serve your clients.
Know How Much Detail is Enough
Master communicators know that it’s better to have a short-but-meaningful conversation than to ramble on and on about a topic. As you speak, be sure that you’re thinking about how much detail is really needed for a given conversation or email. For example, you might want to talk about a new product launch strategy with a few colleagues. Instead of spending an hour going over every tiny detail, outline the general scope of your idea. You can provide in-depth details in project reports or longer, scheduled conversations.
Adapt to the Flow of Conversation
It’s important to have an end in mind when communicating, but you shouldn’t force a conversation to happen if it isn’t meant to be. Perhaps you’ve tried to make a helpful suggestion to a friend, and you’ve been met with a cold shoulder. Maybe you’ve shared a productivity strategy with your boss, but it fell on deaf ears. Instead of dwelling on where the conversation didn’t go, adapt to the flow. Sticking with a conversation shows that you’re interested in hearing new ideas and don’t always need to be in charge of the flow of communication.
Be Graceful
Being a good communicator is essential to solving problems and resolving personality conflicts in the workplace. One of the most important things you can do to become a master communicator is to stay graceful. When someone criticizes your opinion or points out a shortfalling in your performance, accept it without lashing out. Think about what has been said, and respond honestly. Remember that no one is perfect. The better you are at gracefully accepting and responding to criticism, the more likely leaders in your company will consider you a serious candidate for mentoring and promotion.
